Field Notes is an exhibition by local artists Gabrielle Le Grand, Amy Shanahan, and Lisa Stevenson, bringing together ceramics and woven fibre inspired by the Australian bush and coast. Through careful observation and skilled craftsmanship, the exhibition transforms the ephemeral into enduring works of art.
Field notes preserve observations before they fade. This exhibition asks what happens when those notes are made not with ink, but with clay and fibre.
Each work begins with a chance encounter with the natural world: a fairy-wren balanced for a moment on a grass stem; a rosella peering from the darkness of a tree hollow; the quiet discovery of a carefully woven nest among the branches. Through repeated visits, careful observation, and many hours of making, these fleeting moments are given lasting form.
Running through the exhibition is an awareness of time. The instant of an unexpected encounter. The patient weaving of a nest. The changing of seasons. The centuries required for a tree hollow to become home for a Palm Cockatoo. The many hours of careful making held within every woven strand and carved line.
Together, these works become field notes written in clay and fibre—observations given permanence. They invite us to slow down, look more closely, and discover that the natural world is filled with quiet wonders, each worthy of being seen, remembered, and shared.
Gabrielle Le Grand combines wheel-thrown forms with underglaze painting and sgraffito, using those techniques to tell the stories of the species that inspire her. All profits from her Palm Cockatoo artworks are donated to the Palm Cockatoo Project to help protect nesting trees in Cape York.
Amy Shanahan is inspired by the native flora, birdlife, and landscapes of Canberra's bushland, and the south coast of NSW. Her work reflects a love of the natural world, adding finely painted details, carved textures, and a joyful use of colour to ceramics.
Lisa Stevenson is an emerging multidisciplinary artist living and working on the unceded lands of the Ngunnawal people. Passionate about using natural materials, she has been growing, harvesting and creating with her own basketry materials, or sustainably foraging from her local area for over 10 years.
Opening Night Friday 14th August, 6-8pm: Tickets available soon!